Removable magazine extension



Dec. 9, 1952 s, lo N 2,62%,581

REMOVABLE MAGAZINE EXTENSION Filed May 25, 1949 ATTDRIVEY IN VEN TOR. SE5 77L [0 F IORl/V/ Patented Dec. 9, 1952 aEMovABLE. MAGAZINE. EXTENSION Sestili'oFiorini, Brescia, Italy,;assi gnr to Societit Italiana Ernesto Breda Perponstruzipni 'Me'ccaniche, Milamltaly, a firm Application May 25, 1949, Serial No. 95,392 In Italy May 28,1948

1 Claim.

This invention relates toautomatic guns, principally automatic shotuns, in which cartridges are housed in end-to-end relationship in a tubular magazine to which theyare entered at the front end, springmeans being provided between a closure cap 'for. the said front end .of -.the. magazine and the foremost cartridge,

fornrgingthe cartridges to the feed mechanism by 'whichthey are'fed.'one byo'he into firing position.

It is known, in guns of this type, to replace the closure cap by a tubular extension, and at the same time to replace the normal spring by a longer one which then acts between the front end of such extension and the foremost cartridge, this extension virtually lengthening the magazine and allowing of one or more additional cartridges being stored in the magazine.

A disadvantage of this known device is that, if it is to be carried out on the shooting range, or whilst hunting, etc., it is necesary for the marksman to carry around with him both the tubular extension and the longer spring, and also to take care of the normal spring when it is not in use.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a means for enlarging the capacity of the magazine of an automatic gun of the kind referred to, which is free from the disadvantage named.

According to this invention, the tubular extension carries within itself, in a captive manner, spring means which may re-act between the front of the extension and the foremost end of the normal spring, in such manner that the combined springs are capable of a total extension and compression at least equal to the maximum displacement required for the foremost cartridge. Usually, the spring means in the tubular extension will include a piston-like thrust member to lie between the two springs when the device is in position on the'gun, and transmit the thrust of the one spring to the other.

With a device of this kind, the marksman needs to carry around the one element, namely the self-contained attachment; and he does not have to take care of that spring during the time that the extension is in use.

In some other cases, the extension will have a permanently closed front end, and at its rear end will have resilient and/or removable means for allowing admission of the spring.

In some cases, the extension will have a removable front end or stopper, in which cases the means at the rear end, for holding the spring Qaptive in the extensiommay be. f a r gid, removable character.

v, In the ac ompanyin drawing:

, vFig. 1 is a send-diagrammatic sectional elevation of therelevant portion of an automatic gun of the :kind referred to with the normal closure capin position.

:Fig, 2 is a sectional elevation of one example of 'a self-contained magazine extension according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 1, with the extension shown in Fig. 2, fitted on to the gun; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, of another example of the improved magazine extension.

In the known arrangement, Fig. 1, the front end of the tubular magazine, which lies under the gun, is fitted with a screw-0n cap I, between which and the foremost cartridge 3 is the compression spring 2, this spring pushing the cartridges towards the feed mechanism (not shown).

In Figs. 2 and 3, the extension 6 has an enlargement at the rear end, screw-threaded internally to screw on to the open end of the magazine in place of the cap I, and has an integral closed end at the front. Within this extension 4 is a compression spring 5 and a flanged disc or piston-like thrust member 6, the spring 5 reacting between the opposed faces of the front end of the extension and the disc. In order to hold the spring and disc captive within the tubular extension, a resilient ring 1 of circular crosssection is seated in an annular groove, of semicircular cross-section, in the inner face of the extension, where the said enlargement begins.

The said ring I prevents the spring 5 from escaping out of the extension, and although engaged inside the tubular member 4 (see Fi 2), it can easily be taken out, so as to enable the introduction of the said spring 5 and the disc 6. When the tubular member 4 is screwed onto the magazine of the gun (see Fig. 3), the foremost cartridge 3, and the normal spring 2 come partly to occupy the inside of the member 4, thus compressing the spring 5 towards the bottom of the said member 4 by effect of the pressure exerted by the spring 2 on the disc 6.

In this way there is attained the object of providing a magazine of increased capacity for cartridges. At the same time the two springs 2 and 5, in series, behave like a spring whose length is equal to the sum of their lengths, and, therefore, they are effective to push the cartridges towards the feed mechanism for a longer 3 stroke than would be the case with either of them separately.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 may be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, and as shown in Fig. 4, it will be possible to replace the elastic ring 1 and the corresponding groove in the extension with an inward projection 8 integral with the wall of the tubular member, equally apt to retain the disc 6 and spring 5 within the tubular member and to allow for the cartridge 3 and spring 2 to extend Within said tubular member. In this case, the member 4 will not have a solid outer end but a removablyconnected end 9, so as to allow for introducing the spring 5 and the disc 6 at the outer end of the extension.

Having now particularly described and assaid thrust member so as to retainthe thrust member and second compression spring in the body, and the inside diameter of said snap-ring being greater than the outside diameter of the first-named magazine spring and of cartridges used with the gun whereby the magazine spring and cartridges may pass through the aperture in the snap-ring into said tubular body when said body is threaded on the magazine.

SESTILIO FIORINI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS MacClatchie Aug. 13, 1940 

